Insulator coupling



p l 1931- J. R. KEARNEY 1,800,643

INSULATOR COUPLING Filed Aug. 8 1922 ill/6W7.

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES JAMES R. KEARNEY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI INSULATOR COUPLJING Application filed August 8, 1922. Serial No. 580,509.

My invention relates to pole and line equipment and consists in an improved strain insulator connection and its combination with a strain insulator of a particular type.

5 The objects of my invention are to provide a simple economical connecting member for uniting the ends of guy wires, by means of a strain insulator, and also to prevent improper positioning of the strain insulator between 1 the connected wires.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a view of two wires connected by means of a strain insulator and my improved l link.

Figure 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail of the insulator and connecting link with the latter opened and in position to be assembled with the insulator.

The strain insulator 1 is of a common type in which transverse passages 2 and 3 are disposed at right angles to each other near opposite ends of the insulator and in which grooves 4 and 5 extend from the ends of each passage 2 and 3, respectively, to the opposite end of the insulator to receive and position the elements united by the insulator.

My connecting link is formed of two rigid pieces 6 and 7 each having one end hinged to one end of the other by a bolt 8 and each having its opposite end adapted to be secured to the opposite end of the other member. In the form shown, the unhinged end of member 7 consists of a straight threaded portion 9 and the unhinged end of member 6 is provided with an eye 10 adapted to slip over portion 9 of member 7, the two members when so assembled being secured to each other by nut 11. In order for eye 10 to slip over portion 9 readily, without being made unnecessarily large, it is desirable that the straight portion 9 be formed tangent to the are of a circle having the hinged point 8 as a center and that the eye 10 of member 6 be at right angles to portion 9 or in a plane extending radially of hinge point 8. With this construction, when the two members are swung toward each other, the respective planes of their end portions will be perpendicular.

Since the end of member 7 is straight and rigid while passage 3 is curved, it is obvious that there must be a clearance for insertion or withdrawal of member 7 through passage 3. The size of passage 3 to provide for this clearance is greater than that necessary to permit the insertion of a cable or wire A, as is shown in passage 2. By making the insulator with one of these passages somewhat smaller than the other or on a curve which will prevent the insertion of a rigid member as 7, it is impossible to use the insulator ex cept in a predetermined position. The curving of passage 3 and member 7 also makes it impossible to place the link upon the insulator in any manner except that shown. Consequently the strain on the insulator will always be a compression strain and it will be impossible to place the insulator in tension by passing a cable or connection through the passage in the adjacent end of the insulator.

It will be noted that link 6 is V-shaped near its hinge point or provided with a depression at 12 to position the loop of the cable B.

The particular disposition of the ends 9 and 10 of members 7 and 6, respectively, need only be approximated as it is obvious that departure from the particular angles or other relation to the hinge point may be compensated for by a slight variation in the size of the opening in eye 10 and by a play in the hinge joint.

The V-shaping and the curving of the ends of the link as shown may also be departed from, if desired, and other modifications in the exact form of my link can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as expressed in the appended claim.

I claim:

In combination, a strain insulator having transverse passages of different size disposed near opposite ends of the insulator and at right angles to each other, the larger of said passages being curved in a plane extending longitudinally of the insulator, and a connecting link comprising rigidmembershinged to each other and having engageable ends opposite their hinged portions, one of said members being of a size and curvature to be extended through the curved passage in the insulator and the other of said members having a portion adapted to preventits insertion in either of said passages, whereby the parts are, adapted for assembly only when the link is placed ina predetermined position relatiVe to the insulator;

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflixjn y signature this 22nd day of Ju1y,'1922. V JAMES R. KEARNEY. 

